Bowling glove



Jan. 14, 1969 s. DOMENICO BOWLING GLOVE Filed Aug. 14, 19s? IN VENTOR.S'QLVQTORE DOMElU/CO QH SM 14 TTOR/UEX United States Patent 3,421,160BOWLING GLOVE Salvatore Domenico, 6701 SW. 75th Terrace, South Miami,Fla. 33143 Filed Aug. 14, 1967, Ser. No. 660,257 US. Cl. 2-159 Int. Cl.A41d 19/00 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates tobowling, and is directed particularly to improvements in bowling glovesof the type used as an aid in achieving a better grip on the ball forimproved control during its delivery in bowling.

Bowling gloves of one kind or another, including a resilient fillermember in the palm of the glove to fill in the space between the palmand the ball for better gripping and control of the ball during itsdelivery, are known.

Such bowling gloves as have heretofore been devised, however, aredeficient in various respects, as a consequence of which they haveenjoyed only limited acceptance by the bowling public. Principal amongthese deficiencies are their complexity, their high cost, and, moreparticularly, their lack of adjustability to fit the wide range ofdifferences in hand size, shape, and grip of a bowling ball amongbowlers.

It is, accordingly, the principal object of this invention to provide animproved and simplified bowling glove of the character described whereinthe filler member in the palm of the glove is not only readilycontrollable as to size and shape, but, also, is universally adjustableas to its position in the palm of the glove for best fit to theindividual requirements of any individual bowler.

A more particular object is to provide a bowling glove of the abovenature where the filler member is removably attached to the palm area ofthe glove by pressuresensitive means, thereby not only permittinguniversally adjustable positioning thereof, but, also, permitting theselective use of one of a plurality of filler members of ditferent sizesand shapes which can be supplied with the glove at only slightlyincreased cost to effect even more precise fitting to the personal needsof any bowler.

Another object of the invention is to provide a bowling glove of thecharacter described which will be selfadjusting both with respect tofinger size and wrist size.

Other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will beapparent from the following description when read with reference to theaccompanying drawings. In the drawings, wherein like reference numeralsdenote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is an inside view of a bowling glove embodying the invention;

FIG. 2 is an oblique view of one form of filler member, as seen from thebottom thereof;

FIG. 3 is a top oblique view of the filler member shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a top oblique view of an alternative form of filler member;and

FIG. 5 illustrates the bowling glove fitted to the hand of a bowler.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, 10 designates an improvedbowling glove embodying the invention, the same comprising generally, aglove palm portion 11 integrally formed at one end withlaterally-opposed wristband portions 12, 13 and provided at the oppositeor finger end with a plurality, three in the embodiment illustrated, ofelastic loop members 14, 15, and 16 for holding the upper end of saidglove against the palm of the hand as is hereinafter more particularlydescribed. The glove palm portion 11 and its integral wristband portions12 and 13 may be made of any tough, pliable fabric or leather, but ispreferably made of a pliable and somewhat resilient or stretchablematerial such as a heavy sheet vinyl.

Means is provided for adjustably and releasably securing the wristbandportions 12, 13 about the wrist of the wearer to secure the lower orwrist end of the bowling glove in position against the palm of the handas can be seen in FIG. 5. To this end, pressure-sensitive adhesive meansis utilized, said adhesive means preferably comprising cooperatingstrips of woven Nylon fabric having different physical characteristicsand which adhere tenaciously to each other when pressed together. Suchstrips are sold under the trade name Velcro by American Thread Company,New York, NY. and Chicago, 111. One of the Velcro strips has a soft,Wool-like surface and is termed the fleecy strip. The other strip has acomparatively rough and hard surface comprising rows of loop hooksextending outwardly of the fabric body or the base of the strip and istermed the burr strip.

In FIG. 1 it Will be seen that the fleecy strip 17 is secured, as by theuse of a suitable adhesive or as by sewing, against the outer end of thewristband portion 12 at the inside thereof, and that the burr strip 18is similarly secured at the outer end of the wristband portion 13 at theoutside thereof. As illustrated in FIG. 5, in securing the bowling gloveto the hand, the wristband portion 12 will first be wrapped around theoutside of the wrist, after which the wristband portion 13 will bebrought around the opposite side of the wrist with the outer end thereofin overlying relation with respect to said first wristband portion 12 sothat the burr strip 18 is brought down into contact with the fleecystrip 17 and pressed thereagainst to secure said wristband portions inembracing relations about the wrist. It will be understood that theabove-described wrist attachment device not only permits quick and easysecurement of the bowling glove to the hand, but is also self-adjustingto the wrist size of the user.

As is best illustrated in FIG. 1, the upper or finger end of the glovepalm portion 11 is formed along its outer end with a pair of arcuaterecesses or bights 19, 20 defining, at each side, short finger extensionportions 21, 22, respectively, and a central comparatively wide fingerportion 23. Sewn or Otherwise secured to the finger extension portions21, 22 and 23 of the glove palm portion 11 are the loops of elastic 14,15, and 16, respectively, which, as illustrated in FIG. 1, extend to theback for receiving the fingers of the hand in wearing the glove. Asillustrated in FIGS. 1 and 5, the middle elastic loop 16 is wide enoughto receive the two central fingers, while the end loops 14, 15 areadapted to receive the little finger and forefinger, respectively. Itwill be understood that the elasticity or resiliency of the elasticfinger loops 14, 15, and 16 is sufiicient to automatically adjust to thefinger size of the wearer for secure attachment of the upper or outerend of the bowling glove to the hand.

A salient feature of my invention resides in the provision of means foruniversally adjustably positioning a filler member 25 (see FIGS. 2 and3), to a central zone of the glove palm portion 11. To this end, a patchof the above-described Velcro material 24, which may be the so-calledfieecy strip, for example, is sewn or otherwise secured as by anadhesive, against the outside of the glove palm portion 11. The patch 24is preferably square or rectangular in shape and large enough to coverthe greater part of the palm portion 11, as is best illustrated in FIG.5. As illustrated in FIG. 2, the filler member 25, which may bewedge-shaped, for example, as illustrated, and which is preferably madeof a firm sponge rubber, was secured against its underside, as by use ofan adhesive, a cooperative Velcro strip, in this instance a burr strip26. As illustrated in FIG. 5, the Velcro patch 24 is large enough topermit the filler member 25 to be secured against the glove palm portion11 in a wide variety of positions, not only with respect to its circularorientation in the palm but, also, in its longitudinal and lateraldisposition.

In use, after the glove is fitted to the hand as described above and asillustrated in FIG. 5, the filler member or pad 25 will be secured inthe desired position in the palm of the glove to fill in the empty spacebetween the bowlers hand and the bowling ball. It will be understoodthat the filler member can readily be readjusted to the needs of anyparticular bowler to give the best grip with respect to the size of hishand, his hold on the bowling ball, and control during his release indelivery.

FIG. 4 illustrates a modified form of the invention wherein the outerface of a generally wedge-shaped filler member 27 is arcuately recessedfrom end to end, as indicated at 28, to better conform to the curvatureof a bowling ball. It will be understood that the underside of thefiller member 27 will have afiixed thereto a Velcro burr strip (notillustrated) for adjustable pressure-sensitive attachment to the fleecypatch 24 of the glove palm portion 11 when used selectively in place ofthe above-described filler member 25. While I have illustrated anddescribed herein only two different forms of filler members, it will beunderstood that other filler members of various shapes and sizes couldbe provided with the bowling glove for selective use to meet anyparticular requirements that a bowler might have.

An important advantage of my improved bowling glove resides in itssimplicity, its wide adjustability, both with respect to its fit to thebowlers hand and the positioning of the filler member, and thecomparative freedom of the hand when using the glove as compared withbowling gloves of the type heretofore devised. In this connection it isto be noted that restriction of the two middle fingers, since they fittogether through the central loop member 16, is kept to a minimum forcomfort and freedom in gripping the bowling ball.

While I have illustrated and described herein only one basic form inwhich my invention can conveniently be embodied in practice, it is to beunderstood that this form is presented by way of example only and not ina limiting sense. The invention, in brief, comprises all the embodimentsand modifications coming within the scope and spirit of the followingclaims.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A bowling glove comprising, in combination, a flexible, palm-shapedpanel member adapted to fit against the palm of the hand, means at oneend of said panel member for its attachment to the fingers of the hand,means at the other end of said panel member for its attachment to thewrist of the hand, a resilient filler member, and releasable means forrotatively and laterally adjustably positioning said filler memberagainst the outside of said panel member.

2. A bowling glove as defined in claim 1 wherein said finger attachmentmeans comprises three elastic loops spaced along the upper end of saidone end of said panel member, the two end loops being for the receptionof the little and forefinger, respectively, of the hand, and the middleloop being of comparatively greater width for the reception of the twomiddle fingers.

3. A bowling glove as defined in claim 1 wherein said releasable meansfor positioning said filler member against the outside of said panelmember comprises pressuresensitive adhesive means.

4. A bowling glove as defined in claim 2 wherein said releasable meansfor positioning said filler member against the outside of said panelmember comprises pressure-sensitive adhesive means.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,031,680 5/1962 Compiano 21593,123,832 3/1964 Kubik 2161 3,217,332 11/1965 Gross 216 3,238,939 3/1966Stubbs 216 X 3,256,882 6/1966 Huber 2-16 X 3,274,616 9/1966 Russo 2-16 XFOREIGN PATENTS 1,013,381 12/1965 Great Britain.

JORDAN FRANKLIN, Primary Examiner.

GEORGE V. LARKIN, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 273-54

